China set to tackle water pollution with new fund

China has made moves to tackle the increasing problem of water pollution throughout the country as well as the most recent steps aimed at reducing air pollution. Along with the announcement of the new fund to help reduce emissions throughout the country, the central government has revealed plans to invest in plans to reduce water contamination.

Around ¥2 trillion (£197 billion) will be put into projects that are aimed at dealing with the growing water pollution crisis in China. The 'China state Securities Journal' reported that the budget has been set, although the exact projects that will be undertaken are yet to be fully decided on as the Ministry of Environment Protection (MEP) is still looking at the strategy.

The funding will help to create a new market for technology companies, as more water technology advances will be made possible. Water recycling methods and membrane technologies are expected to be key parts of the investment into cleaner water throughout China.

China has suffered from a number of highly-publicised instances of water contamination in recent months, as the cost of fast industrial growth is becoming more obvious. The country only has around seven per cent of global water resources, despite accounting for around a fifth of total global population. Large areas of this water have become highly polluted as industrialisation has become more widespread.

A survey undertaken in 2012 by the Chinese government found that around 57.3 per cent of samples taken from 5,000 groundwater checkpoints were highly polluted. It is possible that this has increased as contamination and industrialisation continues to spread throughout the country, although this is not confirmed. 

It is not yet known when the plans for tackling water will take effect or how long projects will run for, although the country has previously said that it is likely that it will need around ¥60 billion worth of funds to set up wastewater treatment facilities throughout the next five years. These facilities will also require extra funding for their operation.